Dance United features local celebrities' on the dance floor

Jason Vasquez and Grace Stevenson (representing the CMU Volunteer Center) are shown performing in last yearís inaugural Dance United. They will be performing again this year, along with nine new couples. Photo courtesy of United Way of Isabella County.

A local version of “Dancing with the Stars” – with a few twists – is planned in Mt. Pleasant next week.

And while the dancers are mostly amateurs, they have been working like professionals to get ready for their turn in the spotlight.

Unlike the popular ABC dance program, a champion will not be crowned. Instead, the fun comes from watching local “celebrities” ¬ - including a bank president and his wife, the student body president and vice president, and two CMU police officers - show off their dancing skills.

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Dance United is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Events Center at Central Michigan University.

Open to the public, the event will feature 10 celebrity dance couples, from the Mt. Pleasant community and CMU. It is a fundraiser for United Way of Isabella County.

This is the second year for the event.

“It was very cool,” Tom Olver, president and CEO of United Way of Isabella County, said about last year’s inaugural show. “To see people from different walks of life come together, especially around an event that focuses on dancing, was really a clever idea.”

Each team has a coach who helps with the choreography, timing and other aspects of the performance.

One of those dance teams is Rick Barz, CEO of Isabella Bank, and his wife Mary, executive director of Central Michigan Pregnancy Services.

“It’s more work than I ever dreamed it would be,” Mary Barz said. “But it’s also been more fun than I ever imagined. Rick and I are not dancers, so it’s been a lot of exercise.

“We have a very patient instructor, Judy Swartz … She’s a retired kindergarten teacher, so she works really well with us, she has lots of patience,” Barz said, laughing.

The couple is working on a swing dance routine.

She admits she had to talk her husband into it. “He was not very excited about it,” Barz said. “In fact, at the first few practices, I think he was probably not very happy with me. But now that we are nearing the end, he’s having more fun with it.

“.. It’s been years since I’ve laughed this hard, about the way we look and the mistakes we’ve made. You just have to be able to laugh at yourself, otherwise, you’d probably kill each other.”

“It is great exercise, and it’s mind and body work together, you are learning steps and memorizing them.”

Barz said they wouldn’t have agree to it, if they were competing against professionals, but the fact everyone else is an amateur makes it fun.

“I can guarantee that for our competition, Rick and I will not look anything like what they’ve told me Dancing With the Stars look like,” she said, laughing.

“I think it will be fun to watch these different people dance. I know that when I’ve gone to my kids’ performances, the best parts are sometimes the mess-ups, the mistakes that are made. I think, for Rick and I, anyways, it will just be funny. We’re looking forward to it being over because neither one of us are performers or dancers.”

Participants each put on a dance routine. Their performances are interspersed with other dance performances by the CMU Dance Team and local dance studios.

The evening starts with a VIP reception from 6 to 7 p.m. that will feature heavy hors d’oeurves, music, and other entertainment in the Events Center. United Way agency partners will set up display to share information and interact with the visitors.

The doors open for general admission at 6:45 p.m. General admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of $5. “If someone really wants to go, but doesn’t have five bucks, we want them to experience it, and if someone has $20 and wants to donate that as part of their general admission, we’re happy to accept it,” Olver said.

The dance teams are:

Rick and Mary Barz. Their coach is Judy Swartz, who has worked at numerous dance studios in the area.

Crystal Bradford and Chelsea Lynn from the CMU women’s basketball team, who will do a hip hop routine. They are performing at the event, but are not doing any fundraising, which would jeopardize their NCAA eligibility. Their coach is Jillian DuHadway from DuHadway Studio in Alma.

Giving them some competition are two members of the CMU Police Department, Officers Laura Rico and Jeff Ballard, who also will be doing a hip hop routine. Their coach is Bird Clarkson, an expert in hip hop and break dancing. “He had a group of young people who did a routine last year, and it tore the house down. It was amazing,” Olver said.

Student Government Association President and Vice President, Marie Reimers and Patrick O’Connor: Marie, from Saginaw, is a junior with a triple major in women’s studies, political science and sociology. Patrick, from Crosswell, is a senior studying biomedical sciences. Their coach is Jackie Harrison, from Newman School of Dance in Clare.

Erin O’Brien and her husband Scott O’Brien. Erin is the president of the CMU Research Corp. Scott is the unit sales manager for PepsiCo in the Eastern Michigan market. They moved to Mt. Pleasant in 2009. Their coach is Ashley Forsee.

Jasmine Chatten and Brad Kloha: Jasmine was involved with jazz and tap dancing as a child. She is the assistant director of facilities and customer relations with University Recreation, Events and Conferences. Brad is a CMU graduate and division administrator for enrollment and student services at CMU. Their coach is Heather Trommer-Beardslee, the dance program coordinator for the University Theatre Dance Company.

Jennifer Drum and Jason McArt: Jennifer is a junior from Westland, majoring in communication and minoring in event management and leadership. Jason is a junior from Gaylord who works at the Undergraduate Admissions Office on campus as a student assistant. Their coach is Kaylie Dickman, who is a member of the University Theatre Dance Company.

Gabe Purrenhage and Andrea Purrenhage: Andres has worked as a residence hall director for 10 years and is currently actively involved with Larzelere Hall. Gabe is a senior systems administrator on campus. Their coach is Amy Bunting, coach of the CMU dance team.

Rene Shingles and George Ronan: Rene is a professor in, and director of, the Athletic Training Program at CMU and has been a faculty member for 21 years. She also is vice chairman of the Board of Trustees for United Way of Isabella County. George is director of general education at CMU and has been with the university in a variety of roles since 1989. Their coach is Bethany Hepworth.

Jason Vasquez and Grace Stevenson: The only repeat performers from last year, Grace is a senior from Farmington and is studying to become an elementary school teacher. Jason is a second-year graduate student from Wyoming, Mich., studying sport administration. He earned his undergraduate degree at CMU. Their coach is Sarah Polk.

Master of ceremonies for the night are Angie Evans from WCFX and Nick Williams from CMU athletics.

Tickets

Tickets for the VIP component are $300 per table (of eight people) or $40 per seat. They may be purchased through University Recreation at CMU by calling Allison Stump at 774-7418. Donations for general admission may be made at the door.

The event is planned and organized by students. It has a goal of raising $10,000 toward CMU’s overall United Way goal of $88,000.

“It gives them a great opportunity to learn all that it takes to put on an event, from the event management, the fundraising, catering, tickets, marketing, the whole nine yards,” said Olver. “So it gives them a very practical experience, and it gives everyone in the community a great event and benefits the community through United Way,” Olver said.